This invention relates to an image-forming apparatus and, more particularly, to an image-forming apparatus improved in that a variety of information obtained during the copying operation is effectively displayed.
Recent image-forming apparatuses, such as copy machines, include microcomputers and are provided with a display section for presenting a variety of visual information upon the operation of the copy machine, for example, the present paper feed mode, i.e., an automatic or manual feed mode, the amount of paper stored in a cassette or i.e., if the cassette is empty or not, or how to cope with jamming if it occurs.
In a conventional image-forming apparatus such as a copy machine, before copying, it is necessary to set up a particular paper feed mode. This includes selecting either an automatic feed mode or a manual feed mode. The selection of the paper feed mode is made by setting a manual guide through which paper is manually inserted.
However, even when the manual guide is set in the copy machine, if the cassette for automatic paper feeding is set, the copy machine displays that the latter cassette is set. For this reason, an operator, after seeing the display, may be confused due to the inability to determine whether the manual feed mode or the automatic feed mode is set up in the copy machine.
In the manual feed mode, to simplify the copying operation, the copy machine detects the insertion of paper along the manual guide and starts the copying operation.
In the case that the operator can not recognize which paper feed mode is being executed in the copy machine, as mentioned above, he or she may erroneously insert paper into the manual guide even if the machine is not in the manual feed mode. In such a case, the copy machine will not start the copying operation. Then, the operator may erroneously believe that something is wrong with the machine.
The same thing is true in the automatic feed mode when paper is fed manually.
In recent copy machines, a plurality of cassettes is provided for different paper sizes. In use, the operator selects the appropriate cassette according to the desired paper size. In this respect, the above problem is more serious.
In operating a copy machine with a plurality of cassettes, the selected cassette is mechanically coupled with the feed roller to pick up and to feed paper sheet by sheet to each succeeding stage of the copy machine.
As the copying operation proceeds, there is less and less paper in the cassette until finally the cassette is empty.
To detect if the cassette is empty, a microswitch or a photosensor as a detecting means is provided for each cassette. When the cassette is empty, the copy machine visually informs the operator of the fact.
The displayed message, however, does not tell which cassette is empty, or whether or not the empty cassette is one of those coupled with the feed roller, and if it is coupled to the feed roller, it does not tell which cassette is empty.
Therefore, when "empty" is visually displayed, the operator, after seeing it, can not quickly find the empty cassette.
Further, in the conventional copy machine, the empty signal is not displayed until the cassette is selected. Therefore, it is impossible to find whether the empty cassette is present or not before the copy machine is operated.
In a copying machine with a plurality of cassettes, a select switch, for example, is operated to select the intended cassette and to operatively couple it with a feed roller to feed paper in the cassette sheet by sheet.
The conventional copy machine is further provided with, for example, a microswitch to check whether or not the paper is reliably fed from the cassette or if the fed paper is smoothly transferred. When a jam is detected by the switch, a display window provided in the operation pan 1 of the copy machine visually indicates one of the following:
(1) Occurrence of a jam PA0 (2) Symbol showing the selected cassette, and a symbol representing a jam.
From such a visual presentation, however, the operator can not know which cassette suffers from jamming, and which cassette is feeding the jammed paper.
For example, in the case of (1) above, only the presence of a jam is given. In the case of (2), the cassette displayed is the one being used before jamming started. Therefore, the operator can not know whether or not the present jam is due to the pape fed from that cassette.